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Author Topic: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord  (Read 7473 times)

King Zultan

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #45 on: November 24, 2018, 07:44:10 am »

Gah, no infinite wood for us.

Forget the ritual for now. If it'll be two years or a round trip back home until the earliest we could get it started anyway, we might as well focus on easier infrastructure. Might even be easier to get the FFB elves to make a new ritual instead, if they're required to cast this one anyway.

Instead, make sure her elves are doing something productive for the settlement. Like transmuting building materials for the other colonists, though since this is semi-dead space we can probably leave the specifics to her scatterbrained elf judgement.

Approve Grom'Chul's full request. Our food and possibly raw material production is more important than most of what our colonists could be doing right now. Besides, slave driver is a prestigious position.

Check out the Black Prince's map, and advise the tiefling group of any important revelations therein. No sense letting our minions wander into trouble blind when we've got a map of it lying around.


Presumably our personal course of action should be either long-range aerial scouting or going along with the tiefling group as added muscle, but I'm not sure which. Checking out the map and then seeing if it mentions anything interesting is also a possibility.

Another option would be seeing if we can aid in any rituals directly, perhaps getting the settlement off the ground quicker. Probably should have checked on this and the map from the start.
+1
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escaped lurker

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #46 on: November 24, 2018, 12:20:18 pm »

I'd actually be against drafting any of the high-elves into slave-driver-dom - and Grom'Chul should be, too. How is he to controll them, if he teaches them to control the slaves themselves?
Besides, those wimpy scholars aren't suited to the task, and those that would be - like their elven servants and similiar - are best kept where they are.

Either way, at least a snarky comment about this rather bad part of the plan his inferior mind cooked up, would fit the bill.
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High tyrol

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #47 on: November 24, 2018, 02:16:24 pm »

I'd actually be against drafting any of the high-elves into slave-driver-dom - and Grom'Chul should be, too. How is he to controll them, if he teaches them to control the slaves themselves?
Besides, those wimpy scholars aren't suited to the task, and those that would be - like their elven servants and similiar - are best kept where they are.

Either way, at least a snarky comment about this rather bad part of the plan his inferior mind cooked up, would fit the bill.

i think that we should give Grom'Chul 500 slave driver trainees from the eugenic Teiflings. In this case we would not have as many loyalty issues as with using elfs. I agree with you that letting elves be slave drivers is a terrible idea.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2018, 02:24:16 pm by High tyrol »
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IronyOwl

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #48 on: November 24, 2018, 06:01:40 pm »

I assume he knows what makes a good slave driver better than we do, and elves must be at least okay at slave driving or they wouldn't be able to run their own civilization without mercenaries.
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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #49 on: November 26, 2018, 10:48:14 pm »

You excuse Dean Mapleseat from performing the ritual - for the time being. No point allowing the elf the sit around twiddling her thumbs for however long it takes to gather the components. Instead you order the Dean and her scholars to do something constructive for the settlement. She considers your demands, and agrees to inspect and reconfigure the magical plumbing systems beneath the town of Chainbleach, so that they can provide water to and remove waste from whatever the Tieflings build within the walls.

---

Grom'Chul's request is reasonable, so you grant him permission to draft 500 new slave drivers. You question the logic of pulling high elves for the job, but the half-orc assures you that it will be fine. "The new guys are mostly going to serve as enforcers for my Orcs, who will be the real brains behind the operation." the half orc explains, "All the rookies need to do is follow orders, wield a whip or billy club, and look at least mildly intimidating. Even a high elf could do it."

The head slave driver informs you that nonetheless he intends to mostly pull from the cult. The high elves are airheads, as you suggest, and he doesn't want too many of them learning how to command their own slaves. As for the Typhoon Coast Enclave, Grom'Chul dosn't want to interfere with their eugenics programs nor waste the talents of their thoroughbred specialists by hitting them hard with the draft. Still, he will take at least some population from each faction so as to appear fair.

---

Chromatic Dragons do not spend much time in mortal dwellings, so the fact that High Fang, former home of Black Prince DiXander, is the most impressive building you have ever stood in likely speaks more to your lack of experience than it does to the merits of the manor. The walls are made of marble trimmed with large amounts of High Onyx, a synthetic rock manufactured by the high elves that sparkles with a supernatural luster. Many of the hallways and stairwells are just large enough to allow your true form to pass, but after some debate you choose to assume your humanoid form while inside to allow yourself room to maneuver.

You find Princess Ni'gwent in a sparsely decorated drawing room, entertaining Cori Moonblood of the Typhoon Coast Enclave. The high elf is quick to dismiss her guest so that she might retire with you to her chambers, and by the time you are able to explain that you intend to wait until marriage and will formally propose once you find a suitable engagement bauble, the Tiefling has already left.

"Oh. What a shame. The Tiefling was just tutoring me on the science of Miscegenation. Did you know that the first elemental elves were created by careful mixing of dragon and elfish blood, with a dash of transmutation magic thrown in for good measure?" The Princess muses, "I have nothing against elemental elves, save for the fact that most of them want me dead, but I'm positive that we can do better than that with our offspring; Mine is almost surely to be the highest elfish bloodline to ever mix with dragonkind!"

A few minutes pass as you allow Princess Ni'gwent to indulge her fantasy of ushering in a new elfish paradigm through the children you will give her. Eventually you get down to the purpose of your visit, and ask your future wife to show you The Black Prince's map.

The trophy room is the highest point in the manor, and actually sits higher than the natural summit of Mount Ogre-Ear. It is large chamber with walls made almost entirely of High Onyx and capped by a glass dome. Prince DiXander clearly cleaned up before he left, as the room is vacant save for the map on the floor and a collection of large glass lenses, mirrors, and mechanical parts that partially covers the border between rock wall and glass ceiling. Several of Princess Ni'gwent's underlings are studying this massive device, which they believe to be a Retinal Cooker, a particularly cruel magitech device that can turn a slave or prisoner into a homing device programmed to lead others to a given location.

The map itself only covers about a quarter of the floor, and seems to depict only a portion of Doomrus. Perhaps Prince DiXander intended to expand upon it as he explored the continent. Sites are marked in three distinct areas; The haunted woods beyond the colony, a desert region up the coast and far to the north, and some arid highlands that sit inland and far to the northeast. The map does not include a key, so it is up to Princess Ni'gwent and her scholars to fill in the gaps for you as best you can.

Several dozen of the sites are depicted as huts or towers on the map. Of these, many are marked with a pair of crossed spears, which Ni'gwent suggests means that a hostile settlement exists or existed at that location on the map. The remaining settlements are either marked with an open hand, or nothing at all. The Princess and one of the mooks examining the Retinal Cooker disagree on what these symbols mean. The mook thinks that the open hand settlements have actively aided or traded with the Black Prince, and that the unmarked ones are merely neutral, while Ni'gwent argues that the open hand indicates any non-hostile settlement, and that the unmarked ones, which are few and far between, indicate populations that DiXander observed but did not approach. You notice and point out that all the settlements in the highlands are marked as hostile, while none in the desert are. The scatterbrained elves murmur in shock at your revelation. The map indicates that there are hostile, 'neutral', and 'friendly' settlements in the woods nearby, but based on your quick surveying flight they might be difficult to spot from the air.

Five sites on the map are marked with a black shield bearing the severed head of a red dragon: an image that Princess Ni'gwent explains is the Black Prince's personal emblem. She guesses that  that DiXander may have defied the ban against exiles wielding powerful construction magics, and built some sites in secret. Of these five sites, the purpose of only one can be deduced by looking at the map; "Freesails" is situated in a small natural harbor a ways up the coast, and judging by that name and location everybody present agrees that it must be some sort of secret port. You further deduce, going off a large blank area between the sites DiXander has explored in the woods and in the desert, that the Black Prince may have launched his desert voyages by sea. Another site, called "The Cradle" seems to sit on that mountain you saw in the distance from your Ariel survey. The remaining three sites are scattered across the haunted woods and called "Blackleaves," "Hell-Roots," and "The Trembling Drake" in order of nearest to the colony to furthest.

The map also shows many cave entrances and ruined pillars. Some of these sites are in locations that may be visible from the air.

Having considered the map, you tell Princess Ni'gwent that you are considering traveling with Tol-Gurra and his servants. Your probable future wife considers this for a moment before answering: "Well, I doubt you need any protection, but it would be proper protocol for a princess of my station to offer the one she is courting a champion to aid in his quest." Then then quickly ushers you around the mansion to meet three such possible champions.

Alcuin the Annihilator is an ancient looking elf with a long white beard. You know the title of 'Annihilator' is not given out lightly - only the greatest practitioners of High Elfish Destructive Magics earn that accolade. Alcuin likely wields terrifying power, and that is before taking into account the fact that you can boost magic users, but you also know that as a general rule the more prestigious a high elf is in the magical arts, the more scatter brained and useless they are in other walks of life. You would likely be stuck babysitting Alcuin until such a time he becomes useful.

Alcuin's opposite is Daniel Marcross, an EEA (Engineering, Enchantment, and Artifice) mage of great talent yet low birth. Daniel's collection of enchanted crossbow bolts and boomerangs likely dose not stack up to the Annihilator's magic, but he has some experience in outdoorselfship, and he might prove useful in identifying valuable materials.

Lucy St. Crux, Paladin of the High Elf Pantheon, is something of a middle-ground pick. Her combination of divine magic and skill with a maul likely puts her between the two male elves in terms of combat ability, and although generally only the least scatterbrained among the high born high elves are tapped to become paladins, Lucy is clearly young and inexperienced to the point where she might not be the most dependable traveling companion.

You suppose you could take more than one champion, or refuse to take any at all, but you are unsure how Princess Ni'Gwent would take such a decision.

---

You attempt to pass along what you have learned to the apostle Tol-Gurra, but the Tiefling brushes you aside.

"My path has already been illuminated to me by the Prophet Diabold," He declares "you are welcome to come, but I can tell you little about our mission other than it will be worth your while and will probably take about a month. Be sure to drag other heretics along if you desire company. I will personally butcher any of my followers caught having non-vital conversation with you or anybody else who lacks demon blood."

These words infuriate you, but also inflame your curiosity. You wish there was a way to both kill this arrogant fool on the spot and have him lead you to wherever he is going.

How do you proceed?
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IronyOwl

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #50 on: November 28, 2018, 04:31:32 am »

Blegh. I'd like to find out what's at the end of this trip, but we probably shouldn't leave our pawns unattended for a full month this early.

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you allow Princess Ni'gwent to indulge her fantasy of ushering in a new elfish paradigm through the children you will give her
On the bright side, our elven bride is showing appropriate ambition. We should get to work on marrying her and producing the future pinnacle of elvenkind.


Let's decline the tiefling's offer, and instead take the outdoorsy elf on an adventure to one of the cave entrances. We can explore, hopefully pick up some sweet loot, and get the elf's opinion on local resources.

We should especially keep an eye out for wedding materials. While it's unlikely we'll find the ingredients for an elvish engagement ring in the middle of a cave, hope springs eternal and we're not going to find them just sitting around either.
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Mlamlah

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #51 on: December 03, 2018, 05:49:11 pm »

Blegh. I'd like to find out what's at the end of this trip, but we probably shouldn't leave our pawns unattended for a full month this early.

Quote
you allow Princess Ni'gwent to indulge her fantasy of ushering in a new elfish paradigm through the children you will give her
On the bright side, our elven bride is showing appropriate ambition. We should get to work on marrying her and producing the future pinnacle of elvenkind.


Let's decline the tiefling's offer, and instead take the outdoorsy elf on an adventure to one of the cave entrances. We can explore, hopefully pick up some sweet loot, and get the elf's opinion on local resources.

We should especially keep an eye out for wedding materials. While it's unlikely we'll find the ingredients for an elvish engagement ring in the middle of a cave, hope springs eternal and we're not going to find them just sitting around either.

I'll +1 the general sentiments here, but i have some thoughts to share.

I think that we should deliberately allow the Tiefling Cultists to expose themselves to risks in their journeys throughout the continent, in a canary in a coalmine approach to exploration. They are by far the most difficult to control, and allowing them to stretch themselves thin in their efforts to kill their god might mitigate some of the threat they pose.

I would consider sending a eugenics tiefling on each of the cultist tieflings missions of exploration. The logic for that specific choice is that those tieflings are likely much more amenable to passing information on to us, and in addition are probably the least offensive pick to the cult as far as someone to represent us is concerned. Perhaps a relatively unimportant patsy or three of the Twins which we can give a relatively meaningless position of temporary authority, such as ambassador. Their official purpose is to make contact with anyone the cultist exploration force encounters in their travels, but just as important is keeping an eye on those travels to begin with.
I am however, inclined to encourage cultist exploration to begin with, for the reasons i've already explained. Use them as willingly disposable pawns to suss out the dangers out there. If they die horrifically for it, then all the better, considering they don't even show us what we are to consider the bare minimum of respect.
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IronyOwl

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #52 on: December 03, 2018, 06:28:27 pm »

I think that we should deliberately allow the Tiefling Cultists to expose themselves to risks in their journeys throughout the continent, in a canary in a coalmine approach to exploration. They are by far the most difficult to control, and allowing them to stretch themselves thin in their efforts to kill their god might mitigate some of the threat they pose.

I would consider sending a eugenics tiefling on each of the cultist tieflings missions of exploration. The logic for that specific choice is that those tieflings are likely much more amenable to passing information on to us, and in addition are probably the least offensive pick to the cult as far as someone to represent us is concerned. Perhaps a relatively unimportant patsy or three of the Twins which we can give a relatively meaningless position of temporary authority, such as ambassador. Their official purpose is to make contact with anyone the cultist exploration force encounters in their travels, but just as important is keeping an eye on those travels to begin with.
I am however, inclined to encourage cultist exploration to begin with, for the reasons i've already explained. Use them as willingly disposable pawns to suss out the dangers out there. If they die horrifically for it, then all the better, considering they don't even show us what we are to consider the bare minimum of respect.
I agree with some of this, but I'd like to point out that the cultists now make up slightly less than half of our free population, and thus about a third of our population in total. If we're viewing them as the enemy, we've already made a catastrophic blunder by bringing them here in the first place.

More likely we should view them as unruly and easily distracted, and in particular their leaders as uppity and ungrateful rather than their populace. Our efforts should probably be focused on reigning them in or bypassing them, rather than trying to strain or whittle down our own cattle.

That said, selecting an ambassador for the trip strikes me as a good enough idea to implement immediately, even though we don't really have time to get to know one or appoint him any gifts. It'll be good to establish a precedent for having Our Most Esteemed Representative on and in everything of importance.
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A hand, a hand, my kingdom for a hot hand!
The kitchenette mold free, you move on to the pantry. it's nasty in there. The bacon is grazing on the lettuce. The ham is having an illicit affair with the prime rib, The potatoes see all, know all. A rat in boxer shorts smoking a foul smelling cigar is banging on a cabinet shouting about rent money.

Weirdsound

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #53 on: December 03, 2018, 09:35:11 pm »

You turn the cultist down, deciding that you cannot afford to leave your fledgling collection of assorted pawns unattended for a full month. But you know better than to leave Tol-Gurra, so as soon as you depart from his presence, you hunt down the Moonblood twins and demand that they recommend to you an official ambassador to accompany the cultists on their quest, just in case they meet any outsiders.

The pair retire to their chambers for a brief private deliberation. When they return, Cameron speaks. "We nominate Olkop of the Green Wretch Bloodline to serve as your ambassador!"

Cori hastily fills you in on the details. The Green Wretch Bloodline is small in number, standing only about three dozen strong, but represent some of the most powerful Tieflings in the Enclave as most of their mortal ancestry can be traced back to trolls. For the most part the Green Wretches are kept out of the public eye, as they are prone to fits of destructive chaotic behavior, but Olkop is the most stable and well behaved of the lot of them, aside from his grandmother Matriarch Damnedclaw. The proposed ambassador is taller than most horses, equipped with razor sharp claws, and a healing factor that, although slower than that of a pure blooded troll, is still enough to ensure that he will survive just about any injury that doesn't straight up destroy or remove his heart, lungs, or brain. Also unlike a pure blooded troll, Olkop is capable of regenerating from damage caused by fire. To top it all off, Olkop speaks trollish and several other languages that natives of a haunted forest may speak.

"His toughness gives him a better chance of surviving the mission than any other tiefling we could in good faith recommend to you as ambassador." Cori concludes.

"Chance of survival?" You ask.

Cameron blinks, taken off guard. "Our spies within the cult tell us the Tieflings traveling with Tol-Gurra were told to settle their affairs as it is unlikely they are to return alive. You didn't know of this?'

A weak cloud of negitive energy escapes your nose as you snort in anger. Was Tol-Gurra trying to bait you in to partaking in a suicide mission? And for that matter, it would have been nice to know that the Typhoon Coast Enclave had spies within the cult. You hope not all pawns will prove as annoying as these damn Tieflings.

---

You sit down with Daniel Marcross, the champion of Princess Ni'gwent that you intend to take with you on your journey, to plan out a quick trip to check out one of the caves on the Black Prince's map. Marcross talks little, spending most of the conversation in shock that a dragon such a yourself is giving him so much as the time of day. Eventually you get him on task, however, and the elf begins to discuss your options. You could check out a cave in the seemingly friendly desert, the seemingly hostile highlands, or the nearby haunted woods. The later option would be tough to spot from the air, but Daniel suggests that one of the wooded caves is only several day's walk away; A solid option if you don't want to suffer the indignity of allowing the elf to ride dragon-back. You suppose if you were traveling by foot, you could round up additional pawns to tag along for the journey. At the very least they could help you carry anything interesting you find back home.

Aside from figuring out the logistics of your trip, you might also want to stick your nose deeper into Tol-Gurra's travel plans. Perhaps you want to confront the Tiefling with your knowledge of the suicide mission, or perhaps you want to have a chat with your new ambassador Olkop before he leaves with the cultists.

How do you proceed?
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Egan_BW

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #54 on: December 04, 2018, 01:55:39 am »

Heh, how did I miss this one? Right up my alley, this.

Better not confront Tol-Gurra about his suicide mission. That would involve tipping him off about the spies that Typhoon Coast have in the cult... Normally it would be concerning to learn that our minions are engaging in such intrigue already, but Typhoon are more willing to share information than Limbies are, so those spies are useful.
As such, it might be a good idea to request regular briefings with the moonbloods on what the heck Four Limbs is up to. Keep an eye on them.

More immediately, let's go on a cave adventure in them haunted woods! Can bring along extra minions, but only up to the size of an adventuring party.


Dragons love dungeon crawls, man.
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King Zultan

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #55 on: December 04, 2018, 03:09:19 am »

Heh, how did I miss this one? Right up my alley, this.

Better not confront Tol-Gurra about his suicide mission. That would involve tipping him off about the spies that Typhoon Coast have in the cult... Normally it would be concerning to learn that our minions are engaging in such intrigue already, but Typhoon are more willing to share information than Limbies are, so those spies are useful.
As such, it might be a good idea to request regular briefings with the moonbloods on what the heck Four Limbs is up to. Keep an eye on them.

More immediately, let's go on a cave adventure in them haunted woods! Can bring along extra minions, but only up to the size of an adventuring party.


Dragons love dungeon crawls, man.
+1
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UristMcRiley

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #56 on: December 04, 2018, 04:13:36 pm »

PTW
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VoidSlayer

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #57 on: December 04, 2018, 10:18:34 pm »

Maybe see if one of those geomancers from the tieflings wants to come along, along with a student or two from the elves.

Cant hurt to have extra defenders/eyes/brains/snacks along the way.

Talk with Olkop about their mission, to make contact as a diplomat and be our eyes.  We want them to return to us first, bring back treasures and gold and jewels and.. where was I.  Oh right and report back on where the others are going.

Tyrant Leviathan

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #58 on: December 04, 2018, 10:33:37 pm »

Given one of our super powers is Magic amp to allies, good idea to bring someone who can do those tricks.


Though loyalty matters too Given our minions may have own plans.

Egan_BW

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Re: (SG) Flight of the Dragon Lord
« Reply #59 on: December 04, 2018, 10:45:48 pm »

Pretty sure that literally none of the people we brought would be willing to die for us if they had any choice in the matter. Loyalty is highest among the people who wand that sweet sweet dragon d for entirely selfish reasons, because at least those people can't get what they want when we're dead. The rest either don't care or would benefit from our death.

...So in terms of people who we drag along for adventures, them wanting to pocket some loot for themselves is probably the least dangerous possibility. Would be different if we had some kobolds or elemental elves here, but we sure don't.
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